1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device which monitors a use condition of a data processing device, counts use amounts of the data processing device with respect to each user or each group to which the users belong, and manages the counted amount, to a counting method which is applied to the information processing device, and to a computer program which corresponds to the counting method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an environment that a data processing device is used by plural users, a system which counts and thus manages use amounts of the data processing device with respect to each user or the group to which the users belong is used.
Ordinarily, the system of this type causes the user to input authentication information when he/she uses the data processing device, so that the user who actually uses the data processing device is discriminated by such user authentication. Then, the system counts the use amounts with respect to each discriminated user.
Incidentally, in the system of this type, for example, there is a case where a first user asks a second user to execute a data process. In that case, if the second user uses the data processing device to execute the relevant process, it is desirable to count the use amount of the data processing device by the second user as the use amount by the first user.
To cope with such a request, for example, it is assumed that the first user notifies the second user of the authentication information (for example, a set of user ID and password, an authentication card, or the like) of the first user himself/herself. However, there is a fear in such a case that the notified authentication information is improperly or illegally used.
Thus, one technique is proposed as in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-276271. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-276271, a user who asks another user to operate an image forming device previously forms a representative sheet, the image forming device judges whether or not to permit a representative operation based on both the authentication of the user who was asked to operate the device and the read result of the representative sheet, whereby it is possible for one user to ask another user to execute a substitutive operation without lending his/her authentication card.
In such a related background art, it is necessary for one user (called a first user) to previously prepare the count of use amounts in a case where another user (called a second user) uses a data processing device, as the count of use amounts corresponding to the first user. On the other hand, the second user has to wait until the relevant previous preparation by the first user ends. That is, in the related background art, after the second user designated the first user as the partner from which the use amount is given, even if the use amounts in the case where the second user uses the data processing device are counted by permission of the first user, the relevant amounts cannot resultingly be counted as the use amounts corresponding to the first user.